Fluid-operable lubricator for engines



F. K. MURPHY ET AL FLUID OPERABLE LBRCATOR FOR IENGINES 'March 8,1927. 1,620,121

Filed Oct. 50. 1923 INVENTORS. Een) /C Mu/HK KfW/Mano m ffl-75eme.

lama? ATTORNEYS Patentedl Mar. 3, 1927.

Unirse ,s'rafrss nfrfsnr ricerca FRED Alli. MURPEY AND RAYMOND W. RETTERR, OF NDIANAPOLI INDlAN4.

FLUIDaOPERABLE LUBRICATOR FOR ENGINES.

VApplication led -Octerber 30, 1923. seral VNo. NLE-359.

This invention relates to` a lubricator construction for `luid operable `devices suchas a locomotive or stationary engine. Said lubricator .is oit the force feed type ofsupfplying,l a determined lamount of lubricantlto the .fl-uid operable device `only whenthe inovingparts of said device are in motion;

.The chief object ofthe inventionisto coustruct av lubricator construction,ell the force -lfeedtype whichisadapted `ite be 'associated lwith a lfluid operable device, such A.asma stationary stea-nilengine-or a lecomotive `and the like for supplying' lubricant `tossid fluid operable device only when the moving parts ofsaid device are moving.

The full nature of the invention will be yunderstood from :the accon'ipanyine drawings and the following description and claims:

In .the drawings, Fig. L1 is a central sec tional viewofthelubricatorand. twoof the connections thereto, one being'` shown in cle- Watioii. Fig. 2 is -an end elevation-al view ofthe same. Fig. 3 `is a partial'sectional view'of apOrtion of the lnbricator `with a 4.regulator valvewassociated therewith `shown in elevation. ljFig. .4 is an enlarged central sectional `View rof f the regulator valve shown 1in Fig. 3. Fi-g. :lisza :reduced central sectional view oli' afmedilied form of lubricatOr, particularly modilied in the iflnid `pressure :operable mechanism. f

llfn fthe drawings indicates a :body portion ol' the :lubricatoriincluding :a rlubricant :receiving .reservoir or `chamber ll `having,l a `discharge :port [l2 2 near :the i base `:thereof and la llin'g'opening; .13 near :the top thereol. The vfilling;a1 opening `is i provided 'with `a `seat .Iltladapted to-support ia `strainer or screen nvhich is .maintainedein,position by the Yplug closure 11G. Positioned beneath 'the reservoir fllwand .Withinv the .body portion l0 is rfa lubricant :supply channel il?? ywhich ter- 'minettes in .a chamber 18, `said' chamber being 'adapted to rreceiveia cylinder forming sleeve 1.9 which slidably supports al-ubricantpun'ip `piston y20. In axial alignment with `said chamber .1S-is: another chamber2l, and polsitione'd'insaid chamber 2 1 is alpistonfhaving' a rod' 221car1fyin1g :at each endfheads 28 vand 24. -lnlthe chamber 21 adiacent the y cylinder forming sleeve 1911s a lvent yor* port n leadingltoithe atmosphere, and hereinthe *same f is lindicated by the rnuonera-ll 25. lThis its iter rellevmgthei pressure' belmicl the piseiton .head 23 when Lthe pistonis moved tothe .dctachably secured to `:the-.body porti-on by suitable securing means, suehug thbgltg 30, Said vrear .cap provides .a seat 3l L-for suppertingfa strainer andxscreen Lconstruct-ien 32 interposed between isaid cap and said body portion adjacent-the discharge open-ff ing` l2. A channel 33Acommuni-cates with the discharge ,opening l2 fthroughsa-id strainer"construction, and neartheend thereof islenlarged at 34 A,to rcommunicate with `the opening 17 lin the fbody portion 'leading to the pumpwchamber of lthe.=,lubricator. .A seat `35 is formed Vat ,the junction zogf @the ,channel 33 andenlarged portionthereet and a ball 36 is seatabl'e thereon andren stitutes fa. check valve for' i preventinfgathe .re- `turn ol' the :lubricant to the reservoir after lit V"has lbeen supplied to fthe s pumping f ychamber 118 yby. :section land gravity.

4The aligned chamber `2l is -elosed '.bywa

.front or `forecap K-suitably butirigfidlyise- E cured; to the/body .portion 1.10, asbyrthecbolts 38. Said Y fore :fcap thas :a .threaded opening 39 in itsrinner rface 'andadjustably:supports a stud or stop 40 lhaving a tthrearled J stem 4:1.

justed position. 'The stroke :Olathe piston thus `is' .determined by the engagement :of head24t With'the adjustable stop construcgtion. iApressure'supplypipe 4.3-communi-t cates `Withtlthe chamber 121 iupon .the stud or'stop engageable l side Ao'tlthe. piston. Frein the foregoing, therefore, sit infill lbeunde'n `stood that 1- the positioningot .Ithe .adjustable istop ll-0 "determines :the `stroke ict ithe llilbril cant Vpistonor plunger 20, Iand, therelore,

deterlniinesthe amountfof lubricanti-lrandled `by 4the pump at eac-lrstroke thereof. l

Wheniluid issupplfiedfto the lnidseper! fablel device 'for actuating,q the :movable parts thereof uponstarting, theluidowsginthe caseo'f a valve eta locomotive orlstationary engine .upon lstartingthroughy the j ointlring 27 Y and communicating passage U26 to the Ibetaveeia the i-heads :and 24.*119

A suitable 'loelnnutzlf -leclsitliefstnd or .stop supporting:.threaded portioniinnthe. ad-

Pressure in this chamber acting upon the rear face of the head 24 causes said piston to move to the right until said head 24 en gages the stop 40, carrying with it the piston 20. This movement to the right ot the piston 2O draws sutlicient lubricant Jtrom the chamber 11 through the ports and channels 12, 83 and 34 past the ball check 3G and into the pumping chamber 18. It is to be understood that there should be a predetermined ratio between the volume displaced by the pump piston and the volume ot the chamber 18, so that eliicient pumping will be secured.

Thereafter in the case ot' a locomotive or stationary engine, steam is admitted to one side of the piston through the valve or steam distribution mechanism to move the piston of the locomotiveor stationary engine on the return stroke. The pipe 43 ot the lubricator is connected to this side ot' the cylinder containing the piston ot' the fluid oper able device, and thus prefsure issupplied simultaneouslyVT to that portion of the chamber 21 carrying the enclosing stop 40. Since the pressure exerted to maintain the piston 24 in position at the extreme right and abutting stop 40 is the ditlference between the areas ot the heads 23 and24 multiplied by the pressure per unit area; and since the intermittently supplied pressure exerted upon thev opposite tace of the head 24 to 'force said piston and stem 22 to the lett is the product of the area of the head 24 by the pressure in the chamber', which total pressure exceeds the total pressure tending to maintain the construction toward the right, said head 24, stem 22 and plunger 20 will move to the lett and force the lubricant drawn into the pump chamber 18 out through the channel 44 in said chamber. Upon this stroke ot' the piston 20, the ball check valve 36 isseated upon its seat 85 and prevents the returnof the lubricant through the channel 33 tothe `reservoir 11.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 3 and 4. The channel 44 communicating with the lubricant chamber 18 is enlarged at 45 and is likewise threaded at 46 adjacent the end of said passage. At the enlargement 45, al seat 47 is formed and a ball 48 is seatable thereon. Upon the suction stroke of the lubricating piston 20, the ball check 48 is seated and thus prevents the return of the lubricant discharged into the channel but permits the discharge of lubricant from the channel communicating with the reservoir 11. Upon the return or pressure stroke of the piston 20, the ball check 36 is` seated to prevent the return ot the lubricant through the supply channel, and the ball 48 is unseated to permit the discharge of the lubricant from the pump chamber 18 into the channel 45.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a regulator valve construction having` a base 49 provided with a threaded stem 50 seat-able in the threaded portion 4G oft the channel 45. From the foregoing it will be noted that the operating Huid, which generallybut not always is steam, is supplied to the base of the reservoir 11. Therefore, substantially the entire base of said reservoir is subjected to heat which is transferred by the bottom wall of the reservoir to the lubricant within the same. Thus, the operating iuid is adapted to heat the lubricant and maintain the same in the desired state o1 luidity.

The spring regulator valve shown particularly in Fig. 4 is connected to the i'lui-d conveying device, such as the steam pipes of the fluid operable device, such as a locomotive or stationary engine. The spring regulator valve includes the base 49 having a central channel 51 therein which is adapted to communicate with the main channel shown in Fig. 3, controlled by the ballcheck 48. A chamber 52 freely communicates with Vsaid channel 51 (see Fig. 4) and a wall 58 separates the chamber 52 from another chamber 54 formed in said base 49. An aperture-d threaded opening 55 receives a valve forming seat 56 having a fueldis charge opening 57 therein which communi- Cates with the chamber 52 and also the channel 51. Said channel 57 is enlarged at 58 to ltorm a valve seat controlled by the valve 59 supported in a guide member 60. The body 49 of the valve supports a spring housing 61 by means of a threaded enlargement, and said spring housing contains an open threaded end 62 closed by an adjusting plug (53 adjustably positioned therein. Said plug 68 bears upon a spring retaining cap G4 which forms a seat for one end ot the coiled spring 65, the other end ot which bears upon a seat 66 limited in its downward movement by the base 49 and is slidably supported by the housing G1. A recess 67 is positioned centrally therein and the wall thereof is engaged by the head 68 of' the valve 'stem 59 slidably supported with the guide member 60. The application of pressure to the channel 51 serves to raise the valve member from its seat and the head 68 moves the member 6G upwardly to compress the spring 65, the tension oit which is adjusted as desired by means of [he closure 63. Upon the elevation ot' the valve member 59, lubricantis discharged at the predeten mined pressure or at a greater pressure into the chamber 54 from whence it discharges into a lateral channel G9 to suit-able conduit means 70 adapted to convey the same at or above the predetermined pressure, determined by the spring regulator valve herein Adescribed to the several parts of the fluid operable device requiring lubrication.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the fluid presl it() sure operable means is of the sylphon type instead of the piston plunger' type previously described. Parts in Fig. 5 which are similar to parts in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive7 are indicated by similar numerals of the 100 series. The latter adjustably supports the bolt 141 carrying the stop 140, and is rigidly secured in the adjusted position by the nut 142.

The pump chamber 118 communicates with the cylinder or sleeve 119 slidably supporting the pump piston 120 reciprocable therein by the actuating portion 124. Fluid pressure is intermittently admitted to chamber 121 and iiuid pressure is constantly supplied to chamber 121 upon the opposite side ot the sylphon construction. The first mentioned or intermittent pressure is supplied through line 143 and the second mentioned or constantly applied pressure is supplied through the duct or passage 126. Movement of the pump piston 120 to the right into engagement with the stop 140 is secured when the intermittent pressure is released through the medium of the constant pressure.` When the intermittent pressure is applied to the chamber through line 143, the same opposes constant pressure applied to the opposite face and return movement ot the plunger is secured. Reciprocation is secured through the pressure applied through 143 and the pressure applied through 126. This is'because there is greater area exposed in the right hand chamber portion than in the left hand chamber portion, and therefore the total etfective pressure when intermittently applied exceeds the opposing pressure constantly supplied. The operation ot' this form of the device is substantially the same as that heretofore described and is covered in the claims by appropriate language common to these two forms of the invention.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a fluid pressure operable lubricator, the combination of a common piston rod, a lubricant impelling piston secured thereto, a pair of power pistons also secured to .said rod and having diii'erent pressure exposable areas, a chamber in which the power pistons are constant-ly subjected to iuid pressure, and another chamber in which but one of said power pistons is intermittently subjected to pressure whereby reciprocation of the pump piston is secured.

2. A device of the character defined by claim 1 characterized by the power piston exposed to both chambers having the greater area, and subjected intermittently to pressure in the second mentioned chamber.

3. A device of the character defined by claim 1 characterized by means associated with one end of the piston rod for limiting the stroke thereof and therefore the stroke of the lubricant piston thereon.V

In witness whereof, we have hereunto affixed our signatures.

FRED K. MURPHY. RAYMOND W. RETTERER. 

